A typical shared computing environment such as a utility data center includes computers, disk arrays, a LAN (local area network), and a SAN (storage area network). The LAN couples the computers together. The SAN couples at least some of the computers (e.g., storage servers) to the disk arrays. Users run applications on the shared computing system to produce results.
Some shared computing environments include VLAN (virtual LAN) devices in the LAN and storage access restriction devices in the SAN. Such shared computing environments include an ability to divide the servers and storage resources into computer clusters. Network traffic for a particular computer cluster is maintained within the particular computer cluster using the VLAN devices. Storage I/O (input/output) for the particular computer cluster is isolated using the storage access restriction devices. Thus, the VLAN devices and the storage access devices provide an ability to form computer clusters in a shared computing environment.
Many shared computing environments exist which do not include the VLAN devices or the storage access restriction devices. Adding the VLAN or storage access restriction devices to existing networks incurs cost for both the devices and the effort to reconfigure the shared computing environment. Even when building a new shared computing environment, the VLAN devices and the storage access restriction devices increase the cost of the shared computing environment. Thus, it would be more efficient to be able to form computer clusters in shared computing environments which do not include such devices. Also, it would be desirable to be able to arbitrarily assign portions of servers to a computer cluster while maintaining isolation between the computer cluster and a remainder of the shared computing environment.
What is needed is a more efficient method of forming a computer cluster within a shared computing environment.